Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before by Dr Julie Smith

Mental health is not a fixed state, but rather a collection of skills that can be learned and improved, just like physical health.

Mood is influenced by a combination of internal and external factors, like how you feel physically, your relationships, your environment and your lifestyle.

A crucial aspect of improving mental health is understanding your own thoughts, feelings, and external influences that impact your well-being.

Journaling is a valuable tool for increasing self-awareness. By tracking your experiences, you can identify patterns and triggers affecting your mood.

Thoughts are not objective truths, but rather interpretations and judgments shaped by our experiences, beliefs, and biases.

Metacognition is the ability to think about your own thoughts, which is essential for recognizing when thoughts are unhelpful or distorted.

The 'cross-sectional formulation' is a practical tool for tracking different aspects of your experience, helping you understand patterns and identify triggers.

Building a robust mental health toolkit means not just developing skills but also actively integrating these skills into your daily life.

Emotional states are not fixed traits, but rather temporary experiences influenced by various factors, including our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations.

The ability to reflect upon your thoughts and recognize their impact on your emotions is key to managing your mental well-being. It allows you to identify and address any unhelpful thinking patterns.

Your brain generates thoughts to explain your experiences, but these thoughts are not necessarily accurate or helpful. It's important to question them, especially when they are negative or unhelpful.

The way you direct your attention greatly influences your emotional experience. By focusing on positive aspects and shifting away from negativity, you can change your emotional state.

Your feelings can provide valuable information about your needs and priorities. By paying attention to them, you can learn about yourself and address what you are truly seeking.

Attempting to suppress panic or control anxiety often intensifies these feelings. Instead, allowing yourself to experience and acknowledge these emotions can help reduce their power.

Positive changes in mental well-being occur through consistent practice and dedication. It's a gradual process with setbacks and successes, and it requires effort and self-compassion.

By actively choosing to challenge your negative thoughts and beliefs, you can shift your perspective and create a more balanced and positive mindset.

Assuming that others share the same thoughts and feelings as you.

Viewing things in extreme terms - always black or white, with no shades of gray.

Taking a single negative event and using it to justify that everything is bad.

Treating your emotions as facts, even if they don't reflect reality.

Turning negative thoughts into a self-fulfilling prophecy, thinking about things without objective evidence.

Actively noticing and analyzing your own thoughts, understanding how they impact your feelings.

Being present in the moment, observing thoughts without judgment, and choosing where to focus your attention.

Challenging your negative self-talk with kindness and encouragement, similar to how you'd treat a loved one.

Focusing on the direction you want to go in, rather than just dwelling on the problems.

Taking action, however small, to move yourself towards a positive direction, even if it's just a small step.

Making good decisions, even if they're not perfect, by aligning your actions with your values.

A technique to interrupt negative thought cycles by physically standing up and saying "stop" to break the pattern.

A mental exercise to shift towards a more constructive path by asking yourself, "What would I do if I was at my best?"

Practicing deep breathing exercises to help relax and calm your mind, particularly during stressful moments.

Recognizing and managing stressors to maintain your willpower and resist temptations.

The ability to think about your thoughts, stepping back and observing them without judgment, helping you choose how to respond to them rather than being controlled.

It's not about removing low mood, but rather understanding its influences and developing skills to shift it in the desired direction. You can influence your mood like you can influence your physical health.

Directing your attention to specific aspects of your experience, like focusing on positive thoughts and turning down the volume on unhelpful ones. It's about consciously choosing what to focus on.

It's not about eliminating negative thoughts, but about understanding their power and learning to respond differently, rather than being controlled by them. It helps you recognize that thoughts are just opinions, not facts.

It's a valuable tool for increasing self-awareness. By tracking your experiences, you can identify patterns and triggers affecting your mood.

It emphasizes that mental health is a skillset. Just like you'd learn to exercise or eat healthy, you can learn skills to manage your emotions and build resilience.

It encourages understanding the factors that influence your mood, like body sensations, thoughts, and external factors, rather than viewing it as a fixed identity.

It's the ability to consciously redirect your attention and focus on specific aspects of your experience. For example, taking your attention off a negative thought and focusing on something positive.

When your mood is low, making even small positive changes, like eating a healthy meal, can shift your momentum towards improvement.

Instead of aiming for perfect decisions when feeling down, choose actions that move you closer to your goals, even if they're not ideal.

Self-criticism can worsen low moods. Instead of trying to suppress these thoughts, acknowledge them as judgments, not facts, and practice self-compassion.

Understanding your values can help you make choices that bring meaning and purpose, even when your mood is low.

Anxiety often involves distorted thoughts. Challenging these biases and reframing physical symptoms can help manage panic and anxiety.

When dealing with anxiety, it's crucial to act according to your values despite feelings of discomfort.

Mindfulness techniques, like focusing on your senses, can help ground you in the present moment during a panic attack.

Panic attacks are often perceived as dangerous, but they are physical responses that are not harmful. Reframing these experiences can help reduce fear.